Western Cape police say they’ve searched an area in the Middelpos informal settlement at Saldanha Bay on the West Coast in connection with the disappearance of seven-year-old Joshlin Smith.

She was six-years-old when she disappeared from her home in February last year.

Kelly Smith, Steveno van Rhyn and Jacquen Appollis are currently serving life sentences on charges of human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping.

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa says detectives and K-9 officers scoured the area.

“The search was prompted by new information brought to the attention of the SAPS. As of now the search has not yielded any results, however the teams are hard at work. It is worth noting that the investigation was never closed as the seven-year old Joshlin Smith remains missing.”

In June, the defense lawyers for convicted human kidnappers and traffickers in the case filed notices for leave to appeal in the High Court in Cape Town.